Mop dust abstractor



Sept. 1, 1936.. F, YNES 2,052,766

MOP DUST ABSTRACTOR Filed July 28, 19:55-

Patented Sept. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE one-half to WinfieldS. W ill.

Chicago.

Application July 28, 1933, Serial No. 882,555

'5 Claims. 7 45-15) The primary object of my invention is a dry mopcleaning device, compact, easily transportable, and highly efllcient.This application has a specific reference to a specific class of mops,

. which are specially devised and applicable to the mop cleaning oflarge floors in institutional buildings, where bare floors commonlyprevail. These mops are narrow elongated bodies with a flexible moppingconstruction which is intended to cover in) broad areas. This class ofmop may range from a few inches width to a number of feet in length. Thehandle of such a mop is at substantially right angles to the elongatedextent of the mop, and ordinarily attached about the center of the mop.Other objects will appear very clearly to anyone familiar with the art.

The attached drawing illustrates an embodiment of my invention, in whichFig. 1 is an elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section elemvation of the device. Fig. 3 is a cross section at 3-3 in the directionof the arrows.

As illustrated I0 is an elongated rectangular housing, having a baseIlla extending slightly forward of the front of the housing; II are a aseries of cleats vertically spaced around the inner walls of thehousing; I2 is a networkpreferably wireattached to the said cleats l I,which cleats space the network l2 from the inner walls of the housing:the cleats II and the network I2 0 extend from a point adjacent the topof the housing down to a point slightly removed from the bottom of thehousing; the said network l2 being open at the top and bottom, also aportion of the front to be hereinafter more definitely described.

5 l2a indicates a treatment of the network at a point where the networkextends from one vertical cleat on a. wall to a vertical cleat on a wallat an adjacent angle. This is devised at each of the corner positions sothat the mopping por- 40 tions of the mop shall come into closeproximity at all points for the removal of gathered material from themops. A cover I3 is hinged to the top of the housing and has shouldersl4 indented around the edges of said cover, adapted 45 to be seated in acomplementary recess. l4a at the top of the housing and form a closureof the housing. A spring snap i5 is provided to tensionally pressagainst an edge of the cover is for temporary holding of the cover inposition of clo- 50 sure: It is a slide member attached to the cover [5and the housing In to holdthe cover l3 in defined position when open. Inthe front of the housing I provide a slot ll extending from the top ofthe housing downwardly to approximately xbelow the center. This slot I!has attached at its inner edges a pair of resilient members Itpreferablyof rubber compositiontheir free edges extending into the area of theslot and substantially in edge contact vertically; these elastic membersl8 being rigidly held attached at the 5 inner edges of the slot bycleats IS with attaching members the network l2 being left open adjacentthis slot 11, the said opening in the network extending from the top ofthe network downwardly to the point where the flexible elel0 mentsterminate. 2| are a series of inclined cleats extending around the baseIlla and the inside walls of the housing from the point where thevertical cleats II and the network l2 terminate; these cleats 2| areinclined toward a hole 22 in is the base Illa of the housing: this hole22 has a slide 23 normally covering the same adapted to catch theweightier particles of refuse dropping down from the operation of thedevice and has a handle 23a external of the housing adapted to 20 pullit forward for release of the dirt fallen into the bottom of the chamberof the housing. Hingedly attached to an extension of the base Illa Iprovide a footboard 24 adapted to swing upward with its edge against thebody of the housing for it convenient transportation, there being aspring snap arrangement 25 on the face of the housing for frictionaltemporary holding of the member 24, the purpose of the member 24 beingto be let down when the device is standing ready for operationpermittingthe operator to step upon this member 24 thus giving a certain rigidityto the entire device while he performs his mop cleansing operationhereinafter described. 26 is a wheel functioning in a bracket 21attached to the back of the housing near the base; one of said wheelsand its mounting being located at either side of the base at the rear,the wheel circumference being substantially on a line with the base andso adapted that when the footboard 24 is raised-with the intention ofmoving the device to a different position-by a slight tilting of thewheels the device is raised from contact with the floor and renderedpropellable, a hand hold 42 being provided adjacent the top of thehousing externally 45 on the back aifording the operator means oftilting the device for easy propulsion on the wheels. 28 is a horizontalslot in the back wall of the housing and some distance removed from thebottom of the base of the machine; and below the said slot 28 are a pairof brackets 29. A gasket 30 with a sot is placed to register with theslot 28 of the housing. A suction machine with its bag 3i and its nozzleportion 32 is removably seated in the bracket 29 with'its nozzleaperture 6 registering with the slot in the gasket 30 and the housingslot 38; a strap 33 attached to the housing is'adapted to extend aroundthe suction machine housing to hold it tightly in position, the bag 3|being suspendable on a hook 34 on the rear of the housing. An outletconnection 36 is set in the rear of the housing wall having means forreceiving the plug connection of the suction machine, and an outletconnection 31 in the .upper portion of the-rear of the machine isadapted to receive a plug with an electric service. Associated with theoutlet member 31 is a switch member 35 so positioned that when the lidI3 is brought down to a closed position in contact with the spring snapI5 a contact is made through the medium of an electric circuit 88extending between the outlets 36 and 31 so that when the lid is broughtdown to its closing position the motor of the suction machine 32 is setin motion producing a suction in the chamber of the dry mop machine: andthe lifting of the cover i3 breaks the connection; the machine thusoperating in suction only when the operator is using it for theoperation for which it is constructed. I provide a pair of brackets 39on a side of the machine spacedly adapted to winding thereon surpluselectrical wiring, or electrical service connection, when transportingfrom place to place, or when set aside for nonuse. The footboard 24hingedly attached at 40 to the extension of the base Ma is adapted to beoperated for the purpose of giving greater rigidity to the whole machinewhen in operation, the operator stepping upon the board member 24 withone of his feet, ordinarily extending the other to the extension of Illawhereby he steadies the machine for its intended operation.

The purpose of the machine and its operation are as follows:

In the cleaning of large buildings and series of buildings, as inschools, churches, universities,

. and such like institutions it has become a sanitary the elasticmembers-hugging the same.

the chamber.

procedure to mop the floors with what are called dry mops. These mopsare more or less a lengthened type of mop and so devised as to gatherdust and dirt from the floors without creating a dust to float in theatmosphere. When the operator has gathered upon his mop'what he deemssuflicient he steps up to his machine-onto the board and base in thefrontand raising his mop to a practically vertical position he insertsone end of .the same through the top opening into the encirclingnetwork; the handle of the mop being inserted in the slot in contactwith When the mop is fully inserted the lid is drawn down whichinstantly automatically starts a motor in the suction machine whichproduces a suction within the chamber. Then the operator reciprocatinglyraises and lowers his mop, shaking it, the mopping portion of the mopslightly flicking the network walls loosens the dust and dirt from themop so that the dust particles are taken out through the medium of thesuction machine while the heavier particles fall to the bottom of Thismachine can be placed so that a number of mopping operators can use thesaid machine in as continuous process as may be desired for conservingeconomy of time and service. The slide covering the hole in the bottomof the machine gives an immediate release to any heavier particles ofdirt not easily removedby the suction machine; The device is mosteconomically and conveniently transportplug. lift the footboard to itslocking position, graps the handle on the back, slightly tilt themachine and propel it like a hand truck to any described, a verticallyelongated housing having 10 a normally closed base with a valve openingtherein, and a cover a vertical slot located in an upper portion or onevertical wall of the housing and communicating with the top opening;flex-' ible members mounted one on either side of the 15 slot contactingeach other at their free ends; a vertically positioned elongatedforaminous member within the housing chamber spaced apart from theinside walls of the housing, said member consisting of wire ofcomparatively large open 20 mesh; said foraminous member extendingsubstantially the depth of the housing and following its verticalcontour; a slotted wall in the ioraminous member registering with theslot in the housing wall and communicating with the .5

open top of the foraminous member providing an unobstructed spacebetween the foraminous member walls and the housing walls.

2. A device for cleaning dry mops of the type described, comprising anarrow vertically elongated housing havingfa normally closed base and anopen top, there being a vertical slot in an upper half of one wall ofsaid housing communicating with the top opening, a closure for the topopening, flexible resilient means mounted in association with the slotto form an automatic flexible closure thereof adapted to form asubstantially dust proof housing, a foraminous member consisting of acoarse mesh of metal vertically positioned in said housing and extendingthe vertical depth of the housing, its walls spaced apart from the wallsof the housing, there being a vertical slot in the upper half of onewall of the foraminous chamber registering with the slot in the wall ofthe housing.

3. In a dust mop cleaner oi the type illustrated and described a housingchamber with a vertical network member consisting of wire woven incoarse mesh spaced apart therein providing a space therearoundvertically therethru; a slotted wall in one side of the housing and aslotted wall in one side of the network member registering with the slotin the housing; a complementary pair of flexible members, one attachedat either side of the slot in the housing and extending toward the otherto a point of alignment; an enclosing top to the housing and the networkmember; a base to the housing including a valve for the release from thechambers of material deposited therein.

4. A map .cleaner of the type described, comprising a verticallyelongated housing, including a base and a cover enclosing a primarychamber; a series of spacing members attached to the inner walls of thehousing; a vertical network member constructed of wire woven in coarsemesh attached to ,said spacing members defining a space apart from andparallel with the walls of the housing, the network member being open atthe top and bottom; a slot in one of the walls of the network and'a slotin one of the walls of the housing registering with the slot in the wallof the network, the slots in the walls of the housing and the networkcommunicating with the opening in the top or the housing: a coveradapted to close the opening inthe top of the housing and the top 0! thenetwork; an aperture in a wall of the housing adapted to providecommunication with an external suction means for the removal from thechamber of dust laden atmosphere.

5. A device for cleaning dry mops or the type described, comprising ahousing enclosing a space, a network vertically supported in saidchamber said network being constructed of woven wire of coarse mesh andextending the depth of the housing chamber and defining a secondarychamber whose walls are parallel to the walls of the housing and spacedapart therefrom there being a. slot portion in the upper half of onewall of the housing and a slot in a wall of the network registering withthe slot in the housing whereby a mop with a handle may be inserted inthe space enclosed by the network and be vertically manipulated thereinby the handle from an external position through the slots in theregistering walls of the network and the housing, means to close the topof the housing when the mop is inserted there being means external ofthe housing and communicating with the chamber of the housing adapted toproduce and sustain a suction in the housing while the mop is beingcleansed.

FRANK ABBOTT HAYNES.

